Austrian Brazil Expedition

The Austrian Expedition to Brazil (Österreichische Brasilien-Expedition) was a great expedition of scientific inquiry which explored Brazil, with prominence in the areas of Botany, Zoology and Ethnography. It was organized and financed for Austrian Empire and ran from 1817 to 1835.

The expedition had as its main supporter Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich and the expedition was associated with the politically significant marriage of Dom Pedro, and the Archduchess Leopoldine, Maria Leopoldina of Austria, von Metternich, Chancellor taking this opportunity to begin a comprehensive survey of the flora and fauna, culture, population, manufactures and other resources of Brazil. He undertook the planning and equipment of the expedition and decided on the route. Scientific planning was undertaken by Carl Franz von Schreibers.

The contingent of fourteen naturalists included Johann Christian Mikan, Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, Giuseppe Raddi, Heinrich Wilhelm Schott, Johann Baptist von Spix, Johann Baptist Emanuel Pohl, Johann Natterer, Ferdinand Dominik Sochor (Imperial hunter and a skilled taxidermist) and the naturalist artists Thomas Ender and Johann Buchberger. A thirteen-room "Brazilian Museum" containing 133,000 objects from the expedition was opened to the public. It was closed in 1836 and the contents integrated with those of the Hof-Naturalienkabinette.

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